Hand engine and brake control mechanism for a vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle engine throttle and brake hand control mechanism having a hand operated input lever movable in one plane to drive a push-pull cable output member axially to control movements of the engine throttle while permitting unemcumbered actuation of the engine throttle by the accelerator pedal, and movable in another plane perpendicular to the first plane to independently drive a brake actuating push rod to control the vehicle brakes, the input lever also being movable to concurrently control the engine throttle and the vehicle brakes.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A hand operated engine throttle and vehicle brake control mechanism for a passenger vehicle having a steering column capable of axial movement or collapse under impact and including a tiltable column section, a steering wheel on said steering column tiltable column section, an instrument panel through which said steering column extends, a brake pedal suspended below the instrument panel on a brake pedal arm for brake actuating movements generally parallel to the steering column, an accelerator pedal mounted below the instrument panel and positioned for operation by foot in the usual manner, said accelerator pedal and having a pedal and lever forming a part of the engine control linkage, the pedal lever extending under and behind the instrument panel and being pivoted so that depression of the accelerator pedal by a vehicle operator causes a portion of the pedal lever to pivotally move generally toward the steering wheel to increase engine speed and/or power, said mechanism comprising: a hand control body assembly secured to said steering column tiltable column section immediately below said steering wheel, said body assembly having a pilot lever input member movable by a hand of the vehicle operator throughout a generally rectangular pattern defined by an engine control plane of movement generally parallel to said steering wheel and a brake control plane of movement perpendicular to said engine control plane of movement and limit positions of engine control from idle to full speed and limit positions of brake control from brake release to full brake application;   said body assembly also having a push-pull cable output member movable axially between limit positions of engine control from idle to full speed and a brake rod output member movable axially between limit positions of brake control from brake release to full brake application;   said body assembly having a rotatably movable first shaft mounted therein and connected with said pilot lever input member, said first shaft being rotationally responsive only to components of said pilot lever input member movements in the rectangular pattern which are in or parallel to said engine control plane of movement to axially move said push-pull cable;   a gear sector mounted on said first shaft for arcuate movement therewith;   a second shaft rotatably mounted in said body assembly axially parallel to said first shaft, said second shaft having a gear thereon engaging said gear sector in gear driven relation;   a first pulley rotatably mounted in body assembly with the axis of said first pulley being between and perpendicularly skew to the axis of said first and second shafts;   a second pulley secured to said second shaft to be rotatably driven thereby and having a peripheral groove with said push-pull cable laid wherein with one cable end secured to said second pulley;   said first pulley having a peripheral groove positioned in perpendicular tangential alignment with said second pulley peripheral groove with said push-pull cable also being laid therein and positioned in free leading relation from said second pulley peripheral groove;   said body assembly having cable guide means through which said push-pull cable extends from said first pulley in general axially parallel relation to the axis of said first shaft and passes outwardly of said body assembly;   said push-pull cable having another end remote from said body assembly and a lost motion connection by which said cable another end is connected to said pedal lever under and behind said instrument panel for causing said pedal lever portion to move generally toward the steering wheel to increase engine speed and/or power and permitting return movements thereof to the engine idle limit position, said lost motion connection permitting axial movements of said cable in the increasing throttle opening direction to cause corresponding throttle control linkage throttle openings movements and axial movements of said cable in the decreasing throttle opening direction permitting the throttle control linkage to move in the throttle closing direction, said lost motion connection permitting throttle control linkage throttle opening movements via the accelerator pedal independently of said input control member without moving said cable;   said body assembly having torsion spring means secured therein and acting torsionally on said first shaft and continually urging said first shaft and said gear sector and said second shaft and said second pulley and said push-pull cable toward the engine idle limit position;   said body assembly also having an adjustable length brake rod pivotally attached to said pilot lever input member at one rod end and to said brake pedal at the other rod end and responsive only to components of said pilot lever input member movements in the rectangular pattern in or parallel to said brake control plane of movement for causing said rod to move to depress said brake pedal in the brake apply direction of pedal movement and to return to the brake release limit position upon movement of said pilot lever input member to its brake release limit position;   said brake rod extending generally parallel to and closely adjacent to the steering column and having its pivotally connected ends so positioned axially and translationally relative to the tiltable steering column section as to accommodate full tilting movement of said tiltable column section without effecting axial rod movement and to also accommodate brake applications via the brake pedal independently of said input control member without effecting any axial movement of said push-pull cable;   said accelerator pedal and said brake pedal by virtue of said push-pull cable, said lost motion connection, and the position of said brake rod pivotally connected ends, being movable independently of said hand control mechanism to control the engine and the vehicle brakes, said control mechanism being unaffected by tilting and axial movements of said steering wheel insofar as its functional capability to control said accelerator pedal and said brake pedal is concerned.